APNU OUTREACH

Guyanese in 2015 will have an opportunity to elect a new government in the forthcoming general and regional elections. The choices facing the nation are clear.

Our choice will be between the inauguration of a ‘government of national unity’ proposed by A Partnership for National Unity on the one hand or a continuation of the ‘winner-takes-all’ approach adopted by the People’s Progressive Party Civic, on the other hand.

Our choice will be between the inclusionary democracy of APNU’s multi-party partnership or perpetuating the PPP’s one-party dictatorship.

Our choice will be between electing new councillors in fresh municipal and local government elections orenduring further incapacitating central government control of our towns and neighbourhoods.

Guyanese, far too frequently in 2014, have had to protest against the People’s Progressive Party Civic administration’s refusal to assent to bills passed by the National Assembly, its refusal to hold local government elections and its dictatorial prorogation of Parliament.

We have had to take to the streets to demand investigations into police torture. We have had to demand regular and reliable electricity supply in hinterland centresatBartica, Lethem, Mabaruma, Mahdia and Port Kaituma.

We have had to take to the streets to demand the payment of ‘living’ wages for our public servants and other working people, to demandimproved schools for our children, to demand enhanced social protection for senior citizens and to demand safer roads for everyone from the uncaring PPP Civic administration.

We havehad to bear the bloody brunt of the high rate of crime including armed robberies, arson, banditry, inter-personal violence, murder,piracy, police brutality, rapes, trafficking in persons and fatal aviation, maritime, mining, road and industrial accidents.

We have suffered most from the high cost of living, the high level of unemployment, the high rate of vector-borne disease including the dreaded chickungunyaand the high risk of frequent floods. These have allloweredour quality of life.

We deserve to live in a safe society and in a healthy environment. We need to be able to work in a licit, enterprising economy for ‘living wages’ in order to cope with the cost of living and to enjoy adequate social protection in our old age.

We now have the opportunity to elect a government that will be committed to improving the lives of all of our people. We must therefore make 2015 a ‘Year of democratic renewal’ by giving meaning to the constitutional concept of ‘inclusionary democracy.’ APNU reaffirms its readiness to participate – together with political and social partners – in the establishment of a government of national unityafter the general and regional elections in order to solve our country’s most pressing problems.

A government of national unity will aim at improving educational standards for our children, increasing job opportunities for our young people, empowering our municipalities and communities and ensuring protection for our women, girl children and everyone else from the scourge of criminal violence.

Let us make 2015 a ‘Year of democratic renewal.’Let us vote to remove the PPP from office. Let us install a government of national unity and worktogether towards providing “a good life for all Guyanese.”